


And They Lived As They Never Lived Before

by gayyyluigi



Series: Of a Phantom's Child [2]
Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, M/M, Mpreg, Post Mpreg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-08 19:35:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5510405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayyyluigi/pseuds/gayyyluigi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of chapters documenting life after the birth of Olivier Phillipe Chagny. Sequel to Their Love Combined. (On hiatus due to lack of reader interest, but if I get a couple comments, I might continue it.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Loving Embrace

**Author's Note:**

> So, I got a request to continue the universe of Their Love Combined! I had hoped to continue the storyline, but my plan was only to continue if I received positive feedback and/or a request to continue, so I hadn't written anything else until now. However, since there's now an interest in this storyline, you can expect more in the future! Enjoy!

Raoul awoke to the shrill shriek of an infant, and he couldn't help but groan as he came back to full consciousness. Little Olivier's cries pierced his eardrums like daggers, and his body cried out in soreness from the extreme exertion it had earlier undergone. The young vicomte forced himself into a sitting position, giving a whine of discomfort.

As the babe wailed, Erik looked absolutely terrified, quickly handing him over to Mme. Giry. Since he had lived such a peculiar and secluded life, Erik had never truly been in close proximity to any infant aside from Meg, who had been a quiet baby to begin with. As such, he had no idea how to react to an infant crying aside from handing it off to someone who knew better how to handle it.

"Erik, honestly," Mme. Giry chided as she took Oliver into her arms once more. "He's not going to hurt you- he's just a babe." She checked the makeshift cloth diaper she had pinned on the little one while Raoul was asleep, noting that it was empty. "Hmm. He might be hungry. He hasn't fed yet, so..."

Raoul rubbed his eyes blearily, looking quite disgruntled. "Oh? And how do we fix this? There isn't exactly an abundance of breasts around here aside from yours, and you haven't nursed since Meg was little."

"Maybe, but you have nipples, don't you?" Mme. Giry replied with a knowing smirk. "I heard a story once- of a man who nursed his children after the mother had passed away. And you've just given birth, so I see no reason that you shouldn't be able to do the same." Before Raoul could protest, she placed Olivier in his arms, positioning the newborn to his father's nipple. "Come on, little one..."

The rooting reflex took effect, and Olivier turned his head to Raoul's chest, pouty lips parting. With Mme. Giry's help, he latched onto Raoul's breast, which was swollen and tender, causing Raoul to wince. At first, it felt absolutely awful to Raoul, until Mme. Giry helped adjust Olivier's latch, making it significantly less painful. Much to Raoul's surprise, he saw Olivier begin to swallow, which meant that Raoul was truly expressing milk.

"How did you- what-" Raoul stammered, cheeks burning as he stared down in shock at the nursing infant. Sure, he'd noticed that his chest had been swollen and sore, but so had the rest of his body throughout his pregnancy! He certainly hadn't attributed it to the fact that the infant would need to be fed.

"You forget, I have been through this," Mme. Giry chuckled, shaking her head fondly as she watched the tender moment between father and son. "Besides, I could see that you leaked a bit when Olivier started crying. So that was certainly a clue."

"As if you haven't seen enough bodily fluids from me today," Raoul lamented, shaking his head with a sigh. "My goodness, Olivier, what a night you've given us." He looked down at his son, expression softening as he stroked the newborn's soft, dark hair. As embarrassing as this was, it truly was a wonderful bonding experience, one that warmed Raoul's heart. Perhaps he could get used to breastfeeding, however embarrassing it may be.

Once Olivier had finished breastfeeding, Raoul carefully burped him before handing him back to Mme. Giry. He could feel drowsiness setting in once more, and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow, snoring softly as he once again drifted off to sleep.

As she took Olivier back into her arms, Mme. Giry looked over to Erik, who still looked quite frazzled after the infant's crying. She shook her head, sighing as the hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her stern mouth. "Erik, you will have to get used to this, you know. Olivier is a baby like any other; he will cry just as all babies do." She laid Olivier in Erik's arms before Erik had a chance to react, nestling the infant back against his father's warm body.

Erik bit his lip and stared down at Olivier, taking a shaky breath as he stroked the newborn's soft cheek gently. "...it... It did not really sink in until now. Until I heard him cry again, now that all the excitement has died down. It is frightening." He paused in thought, fear fading from his expression, replaced with a pensive look. "I can hardly believe he is mine. I mean... I half-expected him to come out with some horrible deformity as well. How can a child so perfect be the product of a... of a monster like me?"

"Erik," Mme. Giry chided softly, putting a gentle hand on the man's shoulder. "I have told you time and time again... You are not a monster. You are a man like any other, though far more brilliant than many men." She cupped the cheek not covered by the porcelain mask in her hand, rubbing it with her thumb and giving the man a loving kiss on the forehead.

"So many people have said that I am that it's hard to believe otherwise," Erik murmured, shaking his head. "My appearance is enough to turn stomachs, to make children weep. How could I not think of myself in such a way?"

Mme. Giry sighed, face falling. It was a losing battle, she knew; Erik had been called a monster so many times in his life, and he wasn't ready to let the words of a select few loved ones change his mind, no matter how many times she and Raoul had assured him that he truly wasn't the beast that people tended to see him as. The only thing that would make him a monster was not his appearance, but his former murderous tendencies, which they tried to brush off and not speak of. After all, gruesome as it was, it was the only life Erik had ever truly known. It had given him an escape from the freak show, a career, a way to keep control over the very few things he gained control of. Mme. Giry and Raoul simply didn't speak of Erik's past deeds, as long as Erik maintained the promise he had made to them both that he would end the trail of deaths and hang up his Punjab lasso for good.

After a moment of silence, Erik pressed his lips to Olivier's forehead, sighing softly. "He really is beautiful. Not a flaw in sight. Like a porcelain doll, almost... But last I checked, dolls do not scream or turn red. That's a significant difference."

"You know, you are going to have to show the babe your face eventually," Mme. Giry commented quietly. "He'll come into your room after nightmares once he's a toddler. He will see you without it one way or another. It is best to do it sooner than later, to get him used to it."

Erik frowned, brow furrowing as he traced the edge of his mask with his fingertips. "...he will cry. He will be distraught."

"You don't know that," the older woman pointed out. "You assume. But he will certainly cry if you delay it until he is old enough to recognize the difference. As it is, he does not know that it isn't normal. He's too young to realize. It is best to get him used to it now, before he is old enough to recognize that it isn't typical."

The opera ghost heaved a sigh, nodding. As usual, Antoinette was right. He couldn't hide his deformity forever, and waiting to reveal it would only frighten the child more. Hand trembling, Erik removed the mask, carefully placing it on the side table.

As Erik removed the mask, Olivier looked up at his father curiously, blue eyes full of innocence and wonder. When the red, warped skin was revealed, the babe's brow furrowed in a way quite reminiscent of Erik's own thoughtful expressions. A tiny hand reached up, clumsily running along the surface of Erik's cheek. The man's breath hitched, and he froze, but let the little one continue his exploration. After a moment, Olivier gave a soft coo, then grabbed onto Erik's nose with a squeal of delight.

"Ow," Erik murmured, gently prying Olivier's fingers from his nose. "For someone so little, you are quite strong, my boy." He couldn't help but smile fondly, his heart warmed by the infant's adorable mannerisms.

"Some monster you are," teased Mme. Giry softly. "You cannot even scare a babe properly. I think we have to rescind your title of 'monster', Monsieur." She chuckled, putting a gentle hand on Erik's shoulder. "Surely that must make you feel better."

"Indeed," Erik whispered, golden eyes full of love as he looked down wit adoration at his newborn child. "It amazes me that he does not even flinch, even though I hold him close. He thinks nothing of it. What beautiful innocence this child possesses..."

After a while, Erik too drifted off to sleep, reclining against the pillows with little Olivier laying on his chest. Mme. Giry knew she didn't have to worry about Olivier being injured- Erik kept as still as a corpse while sleeping, so the infant certainly wouldn't be going anywhere. The woman had to note how beautiful the sweet scene was, and she would've taken a photo if there wasn't the fear of it being confused for those post-mortem photos that had become common. That would certainly be a morbid bastardization of a sweet moment, and Mme. Giry didn't want to ruin it that way. So, this wonderfully sweet sight would have to remain a fond memory.

As the trio slept, Mme. Giry watched over them, their silent protector throughout their slumber. She easily could've left, and neither Raoul nor Erik would've taken offense to that, but she felt the need to watch over the new family in their vulnerable exhausted state. So, she sat guard over the three, ensuring that they were safe and sound through the night.


	2. Family Gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About halfway through this chapter, I realized that the reasoning I was using for everyone not hating Erik's guts... Really not making any sense. But I rolled with it anyway.

In the morning after Olivier was born, Raoul tried to at least make himself decent. After carefully taking Olivier from Erik's arms and then nursing the child, he bathed himself and changed into clean clothes, then returned to the bed, still sore but feeling quite refreshed. He doubted he'd be able to do much until he was more healed, but it felt quite nice to be freshly bathed after such an ordeal.

By the time Raoul returned to bed, Erik and Mme. Giry were both awake. Mme. Giry was making breakfast in the makeshift kitchen, and Erik was sitting up, rubbing his eyes with one hand while his other arm held Olivier, his ebony hair askew. Raoul couldn't help but smile at the man he'd come to love over the past few months, finding the man's ruffled appearance endearing.

"I quite like seeing you all ruffled up," Raoul commented as he sat back on the bed, chuckling. "After all, you keep your appearance so neatly kept most of the time. It feels like an honor to be able to see you in such a natural state."

"Do not let it go to your head, Vicomte," Erik murmured, sleep still making his voice low and a bit gravelly. "I still despise you, and I will see your end one of these days, I can assure you."

They both knew that was a lie. Over the course of Raoul's pregnancy, the two had fallen hard for one another. Raoul had already had feelings for Erik, but had been denying them, while Erik didn't think he felt anything but lust towards the young vicomte whatsoever. Oh, how wrong he had been. Slowly but surely, he had found himself ensnared by Raoul, his heart held captive by the man he had once hated so harshly. It made him wonder... Perhaps the real unconscious reason he had gone to all the trouble of courting Christine was to impress Raoul. 

Not that Erik hadn't cared for Christine, of course, but she had been more of a way to pass the time than anything. Erik found her beautiful, but not in a sexual way. With her doe eyes and ringlet curls, Christine seemed more like a child to Erik than anything. So, he had played with her heart, with her life, to compensate for his own lack of social life and loved ones. He had not realized how truly cruel he had been to her until Raoul suggested he put himself in her shoes. Now, the whole fiasco was something that Erik truly regretted.

Raoul smiled fondly at his lover, intwining their fingers together and leaning against Erik's strong body. "Of course, M. Fantôme... I would not have it any other way."

Soon enough, Mme. Giry returned with breakfast for the three of them. Raoul greedily devoured his portion, absolutely starving after exerting himself to the limits of his body the night before. Erik and Mme. Giry ate slower, taking their time, both amused by the spectacle Raoul made of the meal. It was understandable, of course, but that didn't make it any less amusing.

When they were finished, Mme. Giry commented, "Meg will want to see Olivier." Since Erik had acted as an uncle or older brother figure of sorts to Meg when the girl was growing up, she and Erik had remained close throughout the years, and she knew about the pregnancy as well. Aside from her, her mother, Raoul's siblings, and Christine, they had done their best to keep Raoul's condition under wraps as to avoid even more controversy, and Christine had agreed to act as the babe's mother in public settings to keep suspicion low.

"I suppose she will," Raoul murmured, taking Olivier from Erik and cradling him close. "She and Christine both, of course. And I suppose Philippe and the sisters will want to meet him as well." He paused, chuckling. "Poor Olivier. Four aunties, and only one uncle. This little ragtag family is overrun with estrogen, I swear."

"Must we see Philippe?" Erik groaned, running his fingers through his hair in exasperation. One of Erik's earlier stunts at the opera house had been to stage a drowning, supposedly of Philippe. However, it had been a hoax merely intended to begin the rampant fear, as a warning of sorts before Erik started to really pick off residents of the opera house. To do this, a wax mannequin had been crafted in Philippe's likeness and dressed in his clothes, posed as if he had drowned in the underwater lake, and left on the shore for those pesky managers to find. Despite the successful uproar the stunt had caused, it had fallen through a few months later when the true Philippe returned from a naval excursion only to find that he had supposedly died while he was overseas. That had been quite the fiasco, one that greatly embarrassed Erik.

"Yes, we must," Raoul affirmed with a frown. "Though you and him don't exactly have an ideal relationship, he is still my brother. He deserves to see his nephew. I would expect him to do just the same for me if he ever had children, so why should I deny him the right to visit his new nephew?" He looked down at Olivier with a fond smile and kissed the babe's rosy cheek. "Besides, I want to show him off. He is nothing but perfect, and this perfection needs to be shared with the world."

"Forgive me for not jumping for joy," Erik grumbled with a scowl, crossing his arms in a disgruntled fashion. This earned a sigh and a shake of the head from Raoul, and the room was plunged into silence.

After a moment, wanting to break the harsh silence, Mme. Giry spoke. "Perhaps your brother can send for a doctor as well. We can construct a story that the mother died in childbirth, so that way the doctor does not suspect. But the baby needs his vaccines, unless you want him to get ill with smallpox or something of the sort."

"That's a good idea," Raoul replied, trying not to wince at the mention of vaccinations. As useful as they were, Raoul wasn't exactly fond of needles, so even the mention of a vaccine set him on edge. He knew that Olivier required those vaccines if he was to have any shot at a healthy childhood, so Raoul knew better than to deny Olivier the life-saving drugs.

"That's the injected medicine that makes you immune to things, right?" Erik murmured, brow furrowing. "Perhaps I could use those as well. I don't know if I had any as a child, though- I blocked quite a lot of the negative memories, so..."

"Alright, hold on," Raoul murmured, getting a pad of paper and a pen. He wrote a letter to his brother, announcing the birth of Olivier and inviting him and the sisters over, along with requesting that Philippe bring a doctor equipped with two sets of vaccinations. "There. That should do it. Madame, could you have someone send this to my brother when you go to get Meg and Christine?"

"Of course," Mme. Giry responded, taking the letter from Raoul. "I will be back soon." She took her leave, going to send the letter off with a messenger and bring the girls down.

Not too long afterwards, she returned, Meg and Christine in tow. The two younger women hurried into the underground home, both giddy with excitement. They had agreed to be the baby's aunt figures, and both were extremely excited to meet their new nephew.

When they got to the bedroom, both girls went slack-jawed in awe at the sight of Olivier cradled in Raoul's arms. Meg gasped and covered her mouth, smiling widely, while Christine let out a soft noise of excitement and hurried to Raoul's side.

"Oh, Raoul, he's beautiful!" Christine gushed, tears pricking at her eyes as she stroked little Olivier's downy hair gently. "I never thought that one day, that little boy by the sea would be all grown up with a little boy of his own...!"

"Wow," Meg murmured, hopping up on the bed and sitting cross-legged in the spot Erik had vacated in favor of sitting in a nearby reclining chair with a pad of blank sheet music and a pen. "He looks so much like Erik...! Look at that strong jaw, that stern little pout!"

"But he has Raoul's sweet baby-blue eyes," Christine noted with a grin as Olivier looked up at her with a soft gurgle. "Oh, he is beautiful... What a sweet little one...!"

Raoul couldn't help but blush at all the attention the girls were giving Olivier, and by extension, him. It was a bit overwhelming, though he appreciated that the girls had already fallen so deeply in love with his son. He now had no doubts that Olivier would grow up extremely loved, with a large support system. It was a wonderfully reassuring feeling, to say the very least.

"I think he wants you to hold him, Lotte," Raoul commented as Olivier reached out and waved his little fist clumsily at Christine. "Would you like to hold him?"

"Oh, would you really let me?" Christine gushed, beaming from ear to ear. "Oh, Raoul, yes please!"

With the utmost care, Raoul placed Olivier in Christine's arms, positioning him to keep him both supported and comfortable. Christine gasped softly, eyes sparkling as she felt the warm weight of Olivier in her arms. It was a truly touching moment, one that she made sure to commit to memory so she would never forget it.

"Hello, my dear," Christine murmured, placing a gentle kiss on the babe's forehead. "I am your Aunt Christine, but in public, I will make-believe that I am your mother, so I can keep you safe. So you will call me Mama whenever we are out and about, but I don't mind if you call me Aunt Lotte other times. That's certainly easier to say than Christine, huh?" She laughed softly, nuzzling against the babe's cheek. "I don't know why I am explaining this to you- you're far too little to understand. But one day, you will. Just not today."

"Talking to babies helps them learn," Meg pointed out with a smile, wiggling a finger at Olivier and allowing him to grab on. "The more he is talked to, the sooner he'll start to understand what the words mean. So there is certainly no harm in talking to him, even though he can't understand just yet."

Raoul couldn't help but laugh as the two women oohed and ahed over Olivier. It was certainly a cute sight, to see the two of them so happy and enamored with the babe. Raoul couldn't help but think that Christine would be an absolutely beautiful mother if she ever decided to have children. He certainly hoped that she would have children one day in the future, so Olivier could have little cousins to play with.

"So," Raoul smiled at the two, "Christine, I see you've already taken the place of aunt. Now, Meg, would you like Olivier to call you an aunt as well? That was the plan from the beginning, for you both to have family positions, but only if you wish."

"Oh...?" Meg's eyes lit up, and she grinned, cheeks flushing giddily. "Oh, wow, Raoul! That would be amazing, to act as a family member!" She looked over to Erik questioningly, as if asking for his approval.

"I have known you since you were born," Erik spoke, standing and putting a hand on Meg's shoulder. "Your mother raised me, so I almost feel as if I am a brother to you anyway. Of course we want you as Olivier's aunt." He paused, sighing softly. "Since I have no real family, Raoul suggested that we have you two act as family to the little one, to make up for the absence. Also, you will be around him quite a lot anyway, so it only made sense."

Meg broke into a giggle-fit, eyes sparkling. "I suppose that makes Maman a grandmother, doesn't it!"

"Oh, God," Mme. Giry muttered, shaking her head with a good-natured smile. "That is a scary thought. I feel so old! I do not feel as if I should have a grandchild. But then again, you are getting to that age as well, Meg...!"

The time passed quickly as the women passed the baby around, and before too long, Raoul's family arrived with the doctor. The doctor was a bit befuddled at being taken into an underground home, but he didn't protest, knowing that his services were needed, despite how bizarre the situation was.

"Hello, Raoul! Hello, M. Fantôme. I hear I have a nephew to meet?" Philippe greeted as he descended to the makeshift home. Raoul instantly perked up, sitting up straight with a cry of excitement.

"Philippe!" Raoul cried, eyes sparkling. "Oh, come meet my son, Philippe!" He ushered his brother over, handing Olivier to the older man. "Philippe, meet my son... Olivier Philippe Chagny."

"He has my name as a middle name...?" Philippe murmured, feeling a bit of affection for the babe aside from the disgust he still felt due to the child's origins. "Your firstborn son, and he has my name for a middle name? Oh, Raoul..."

"I could think of nothing better to name him," Raoul replied, chuckling softly as he watched Philippe interact with the child.

Raoul's oldest sister, Genevieve, approached the child curiously. "Oh, Raoul... He has your eyes... What a beautiful babe!" She ran her fingers through Olivier's soft black hair, smiling down at him. "Oh, do come see him!"

At Genevieve's prompting, Raoul's other sister, Nathalee, the third-oldest in the family, came closer to meet Olivier. She looked at Olivier, then to Erik, and back to Olivier. "Look at that hair...! Oh, he looks like his father! The, ah... The one who sired him, that is."

Nathalee then approached Erik, giving him a warm smile. "I don't believe I have ever had the pleasure to meet you, but I have heard much about you. I am Nathalee, Raoul's sister." She shook Erik's hand, chuckling softly. "You certainly make Raoul's life an adventure. All his life, he complained that his privileged lifestyle made his life a boring one. You might've done some things that are... Unorthodox.... But Raoul loves you, so I can as well."

Erik smiled sheepishly, giving Nathalee a firm shake of the hand. "I can assure you, the days of morbid actions are over. The city thinks I am dead, so they are no longer after me, and I would prefer to keep it that way. It was a... Well, it was certainly a lifestyle, but those days are over. I am getting too old to be running for my life at this point. I haven't done anything criminal in over five years, I swear on my soul, ask Madame over there."

It was as the entire room breathed a sigh of relief. Philippe's shoulders fell from their tense position, and the women relaxed their posture, and they all began to feel a bit more open towards the situation. After all, Raoul's family had been worried about their brother loving a man who had not only worked as a torturer back in India, but had then murdered a few residents of the opera house. To know that Raoul was laying with this man, well... They tried to be supportive of their troubled young brother, they really did, but it was hard. Now, at the very least they had some assurance that the man wouldn't try anything dangerous.

"Ahem..." The doctor awkwardly cleared his throat, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. "May I do my job, and then be done?"

"My apologies, Monsieur," Raoul apologized. He led Erik over to the doctor, baring the arm of his lover so the vaccines could be administered. As the doctor plunged in needle after needle, Erik cried out, unused to the horrible sensation of fluid being injected into his tissue.

"That was awful," Erik grumbled once the ordeal was over, pulling his sleeve back down. Then, it was Olivier's turn for vaccines. The doctor worked swiftly, administering the medicine as quickly as he could, and soon enough the procedure was over. Olivier was certainly not happy about it though- he kicked and screamed, the pain not exactly a pleasant feeling.

The doctor handed Olivier over to Raoul once more, and Raoul comforted the babe, stroking his soft ebony hair. "Shh... It's alright, my love... Your father went through the same thing. You both were very brave." He paused, handing Olivier over to Erik with a smile. "You both went through it. You will know better than I how to calm him."

Erik took the little one in his arms, still unused to holding an infant. "There, there, my sweet boy..." He kissed the spot the needles had entered, then kissed Olivier's forehead. "I know... It was horrible, wasn't it? That nasty doctor was too rough. Yes, I know."

As Olivier was spoken to, the babe began to calm, soothed by Erik's deep, smooth voice. Soon enough, the babe was snoozing in Erik's arms, exhausted after what he had just been through. Erik looked over at Raoul, eyes sparkling as he realized he had calmed his son. He had done it!

As Philippe looked upon the scenario, he frowned, putting a hand on Raoul's shoulder. He certainly didn't approve of the lodging- a mildewy old cave with slippery rocks and no light was certainly no place to raise a family. Something would have to be done to change this.

"I do not like your home," Philippe murmured to Raoul, making sure he was out of Erik's earshot. "This place is much too gloomy and dangerous to raise a child in. Raoul... Why don't you move into one of the manors? Our family has inherited enough for each of us, yet you choose to live underground in this... place."

Raoul frowned, brow knitting, and he sighed. "You know as well as I do that if anyone saw Erik, he would be in big trouble. I cannot risk that. So, we stay down here."

"No," Philippe protested, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Olivier deserves better than this. We can paint Erik in a new light, if anyone asks. We could say he is an architect from India, come to live out his retirement in Paris. This certainly isn't a complete lie. And we could say that the... deformity... was caused by a fire back in India. This is a lie, yes, but a believable one. And if all else fails... Well, who would argue with someone with such political power? Raoul, we will make this work. You and your son deserve better. You are moving to a manor, do you understand?"

Raoul nodded obediently. "Yes, brother. I understand." In truth, he was relieved that they would be moving from the underground cavern. For a creature of the light such as Raoul, the place was too dark and dank to live in for an extended period of time. At a manor, he'd have a garden to walk through, Windows to look out of... It would be much more pleasant.

So, the plan was set in motion. Philippe would help to transfer the family to a manor, so that Olivier wouldn't have to grow up in the shadows. Erik certainly wasn't thrilled, but he was secretly relieved that, with the Comte's political pull, he'd be given a blank slate, a chance to start over. He'd certainly never be a man who fancied mingling with the other townspeople, but it would certainly be nice to not have to hide for fear of his life. Because of this, he helped as well, to the best of his ability. By the time Olivier was two weeks old, the manor was all cleaned up and ready to be moved into. Thus began the next chapter of the family's life.


End file.
